Physics Colloquium, October 16, 2007
Coupling of ribosome and tRNA dynamics during translation elongation Ruben L. Gonzalez

Columbia University

Visualization of the coupling between ribosome and substrate conformational dynamics can reveal allosteric mechanisms regulating the individual steps of protein synthesis. Here we demonstrate the first real-time coupling of the dynamics of a ribosomal domain, the L1 stalk, and those of the transfer RNA (tRNA) substrates of the ribosome through one full round of translation elongation. Using single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (smFRET), we show that an intermolecular contact between the L1 stalk and an intermediate "hybrid" state of the tRNAs is established immediately upon peptide bond formation. The L1 stalk-tRNA smFRET signal reports on the structure and real-time dynamics of this intermolecular contact and reveal how these structural and dynamic features of the interaction couple to translocation of the tRNAs through the ribosome during translation elongation.

Dr. Gonzalez's Web Site

4:00 p.m., Physics Research Building (PRB), Room 1080

Reception at 3:45 p.m., Atrium, PRB